Chef in the Wild

Sizzling in the Kitchen #1

by M.J. O'Shea

Chef Baldwin Powell has everything he could ever want … until he doesn’t. Fancy parties, celebrities, magazine write-ups, his own little empire of stainless steel and fire – he thought all of it was forever. It only takes one awful meeting for everything he’s worked for to be yanked out from underneath him. And one fateful meeting with the owner of food truck, of all things, to realize maybe what he thought he wanted isn’t what he needs after all.

Murphy Haynes chose a different route. He decided right away that high-pressure kitchens weren’t for him so he took his skills on the road. If he happens to stop in a certain well known chef’s neighborhood more often than anywhere else on his route, sue him. He’s his own boss for a reason and there’s something about Baldwin Powell that he can’t resist.

They’re opposites in nearly every way – On paper it should be a disaster. But life and love in the wilds of Manhattan rarely work out the way anyone expects

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT, Gay, Food, M M Contemporary

202 pages, ebook

First published May 1, 2019

About the author

MJ O’Shea has never met a music festival, paintbrush, or
flower crown she can stay away from. She loves rainstorms
and a perfect cup of tea, beach days, music, bright colors, and
more than anything a cozy evening with a really great book.

She is from the Pacific Northwest. While she still lives there
and loves it, MJ has the heart of a wanderer. So she puts all
her dreams of far off places and extraordinary people in her
books.

Except for every once in a while when she does what all
travelers have to do on occasion… come home.

Reviews

[Sunne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chef in the Wild is not a book that you should read while you are hungry. This is my warning :)

But if you love a book with a nicely developed story of two guys who have the same passion but so far have expressed it in different ways and who are finding a way together - this is a book for you.
I've read it in two days, it was both entertaining and amusing. It's not insta love, actually, it takes some time until both MCs even meet for the first time, despite Murphy having a "professional crush" on Baldwin for a while. I really found the built up, how they connected over food, very enjoyable. The progression into their relationship comes natural and feels good.
I'm actually a bit in love with Murphy's roommate, too. He's adding to the easygoing fun of the book.

I admit, for a bit I was wondering how these two could make it work, despite obviously being perfect for each other. But it all worked out well, so I'm happy.
And this is the ftting word for the book - it made me happy while reading. And this is what I need.
So thank you for the book, I really liked it.

[Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.25

Sweet story. It's low angst, and I liked it.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 and 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. I really enjoyed this book. I just felt like that Baldwin and Murph didn’t spend much time getting to know each other. They didn’t even meet until almost half way through the book. If it had been 350:pages that would have been fine, but this was only 150 pages long.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comfort Food, Comfort read. Sometimes a voracious reader needs a change of pace. Sometimes you have a taste for something exotic. Other times you want something simpler. This one spoke to me on the “something simpler” level. Though it starts with one of the main characters losing his boyfriend and his job on the same day, he’s a very successful, very talented chef, he’s done well enough in his life to this point that it’s actually a pretty low angst, story. He’s already made it in Manhattan; and as they say in the song, “if you can make it there you can make it anywhere.”

Sure, he goes into a bit of a funk, but soon he’s met a younger guy who’s a born and bred Brooklynite, who runs a food truck, and who’s ready willing and able to help an ex-top-chef lick his wounds. The course of true love never does run smooth, and there are some hiccups along the way, but the ones in this tale are pretty minor and you just know that their difficulties will be worked out.

While Baldwin and Murph may make sweet moussaka together, what they make in the bedroom is mostly left to the imagination. While the tale involves two chefs, the on-page fare is mostly savory & sweet, it never gets too spicy. Sometimes that’s fine too. Both chefs have interesting friends and families and it’s just nice to spend time with them.

Since this is the first in a three book series, I guess I’ll be doing some of that.

***Note: I was given a free copy of this title in hopes of a fair and unbiased review. ***

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

This had good bones but the pacing was WAY off. They MCs don't even meet until 20% into the book and the whole thing manages to feel both too fast and too slow in various parts. At several parts, particularly toward the end, I felt like I was reading a detailed outline as opposed to a finished book. It really needed more words to flesh things out. Which is a shame because I quite liked the characters and concept, but the execution was weak. Planning to read the next book in the series because I'm curious.

[Anabela.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

*this review may contain spoilers

I've been hungry all through this book!
Michelin star restaurants or food trucks, complicated or simple,it's all yummy...particularly Baldwin and Murphy. They meet when Baldwin was at his lowest, having lost his job and his spark in the kitchen, and when Murpghy's food trucks business was just starting to make profit. They connect over food talk and appreciation for good eating, but soon the chef crushes they felt for the other soon becomes a hunger for more. They're both so sweet, gentle and caring, their love story has the right condiments to create an esquisite recipe, and of course I rooted for their happy ending.
Chef In The Wild is brilliant,easy flowing and I couldn't put it down.
Congratulations,M.J. O'shea, for another beautiful book.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable romance set in the big city, but with a small town flavor. I picked this up the minute I finished book two, which I read for blog review. I love the feel of MJ O'Shea's romances. Her character development and the banter between characters, their slow buildup to love, and the settings for the stories are all great.

I was miffed at Murph's behavior toward the end, but I suppose it's understandable with his history. But if I were Baldwin, I'd be a bit less accepting of his lame apology. More groveling would have made the story better. But, I'm happy enough with the rest of the story as is, and, to be honest, these two come alive as a love match in book two, so those who've read this one have something great to look forward to when Chef vs Chef comes out soon.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to the wilds of Manhattan!



This was a nice, fast-paced story about a semi-celebrity chef who lost everything, only to discover it was actually nothing at all, and a food truck chef who discovers that sometimes, you need to take risks for love. Baldwin loses everything - his job, his boyfriend, his reputation. It is a tremendous blow and he is crushed. He struggles with it all, but comes to realize that he had indeed been stuck in a rut, lost his passion for life and for cooking, but then he meets Murph and as their relationship progresses, he rediscovers himself again. They were really cute as a couple and their relationship was full of ups and down, but it was strong nonetheless. I liked both main characters, even if I am still unconvinced about some of their food choices :D

**I was provided an ARC of this book from the GRR for an honest review**

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an Author I've read a few times. This is a GREAT Book. Baldwin is the top of the top chef at the top restaurant. Until he's not. Now he feels ashamed and untethered. Murph is a food truck operator. His business is growing quickly. He has been trying to catch Baldwin's eye for months. Baldwin has gone back to where he was raised, reconnected to family. He thinks he has a direction now. Murph's truck finally catches Baldwin's eye on his return. This story is just AMAZING. These two have a long row to hoe. My caution is don't read this with an empty stomach. I don't know how I let M.J. O'Shea slip past me for so long but I'm going to be doing a lot of catching up now. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a food geek that loves to cook so this gem was right up my alley. I found both men to be ward and endearing. The story was fairly drama free and easy to read as long as the reader is a cooking devotee.

[Coco.V]

🎁Books 1 & 2 in the Series are FREE on Amazon today (6/27/2021)! 🎁

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really sweet romance, that had me looking out for recipes :) Those two were very much meant to be together, and at least Murph's stupidity didn't last for long.

Perfect for a lazy afternoon.

[Penumbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chef in the Wild is the first book in the ‘Sizzling in the Kitchen’ series. It stars two chefs, Baldwin ‘Pete’ Powell, and Murphy Haynes. The story is told in third person from both Baldwin and Pete’s povs.



I’ve lately started rating covers first. This one is okay. What I like the most, is the title, ‘Chef in the Wild’. It represents the blog that Baldwin writes.

The plot is about two chefs that took different directions in their life. They both are highly skilled. Baldwin continued on to run the kitchen at a Michelin starred restaurant, while Murphy hated working in one, and went out on his own by purchasing a food truck and creating sophisticated food wraps. The plot is highly character driven. The men meet after Baldwin is fired from his job. Murphy is his own boss and can pick his food routes, one being around the corner from Baldwin’s residence. He’s basically, sort of, stalking Baldwin, hoping that the chef will someday stop by his food truck, which he eventually does. From there, a long ‘getting to know you’ starts to take place. The story and relationship evolved over about a year and a half, and there are quite a few time jumps in between events. I don’t usually like time jumps, but in this case they weren’t too obvious, and it was necessary since most of the time Baldwin’s and Murph’s lives were ordinary, except when an event happened that changed them or affected their relationship.

One of the things I didn’t like, was this story does not fill up the book one hundred percent. This particular story ends at about the eighty percent mark, then is followed with a long preview of Book Two in the series, and then some more blurbs about additional books in the series and other random books. I would’ve preferred a longer epilogue, because it was rather short. The second thing I didn’t like about the story, is that the two characters don’t meet until about twenty to twenty-five percent into the book. The first quarter of the book, are scenes of each of their different lives and what is happening to them. The only way they come together is when Murphy talks about Baldwin to his roommate, Scooter, who is also a chef. The news about Baldwin losing his job is all around town in their career, and Murph admits he stops his truck near Baldwin’s apartments. That’s the closest they come to meeting for the first quarter. I would’ve preferred they met sooner, but the pre-meet-cute scenes, were interesting enough so I didn’t stop reading, and they helped lay the groundwork for the life situations of each character.


Chef Baldwin Powell is fired from his job because his boss implies Baldwin’s work is ‘tired and stale’. The extra bad part is the person taking over Baldwin’s job is a chef named Jake, who Baldwin absolutely hates. Baldwin hides out in his home, he’s clearly depressed and can’t shake himself out of his deep pit. And, he’s lost his interest in cooking or creating. His family in Vermont want him to come home for the Christmas holiday and he does. It’s the first time he’s felt happy in a long time. He’s interested in cooking with his family. Baldwin and his family are very close. He loves Vermont and starts to think about whether he should move back, but decides it’s too soon, it would be like running away, so he sticks it out in NYC a bit longer. I liked Baldwin. I could believe in the natural progression of moving from depression into finally starting to develop interest in life again. Baldwin seemed like a nice guy, although a bit wary of trusting anyone, and at times so excited about new possibilities, he’d jump to do it before thinking about the effect it may have on other people. He is a man of vision, which probably is part of why he’s an excellent chef. After the trip home, Baldwin started to re-evaluate his life, find out what he wanted to do with it. First he decides to walk around more, and he meets Murphy and his, ‘That’s a Wrap!’ truck, which Baldwin snobbishly thinks serves soggy lettuce and mushy tomatoes.

Murphy used to work in a ritzy restaurant, but hated it. Instead of quitting, he ran away with his ex-boyfriend to Los Angeles, where he hated it there to, and they broke up and he ran away again back to NYC. So Murph has some baggage that he’s not really that open with talking to Baldwin about, even though Baldwin talks to Murphy. Baldwin steps into a few landmines that catch him completely off guard. Murphy is very happy with his food truck. When Baldwin finally stops by one day, Murph flirts outrageously with him trying to get him to try a food wrap. Baldwin doesn’t the first day, but he does eventually, and he can’t stop from coming back again because Murphy is a talented chef, and Murphy’s personality brightens Baldwin’s day. What I didn’t like about Murphy is that anytime the two men had an argument, Murph ran away and gave Baldwin the cold shoulder. He’d later apologize and says, ‘That’s not me.’ I vehemently dislike whenever a person says that, because yes, it is. The person wouldn’t have said or done that thing if it wasn’t such an easy, automatic response. Murph has a history of running away from things he doesn’t like, as readers find out in the story.

What I found interesting about the characters, was how the author had the two men come from different directions. Not just their food backgrounds and what they currently did when the story opens, but how they handle the stresses and problems of life and relationships. Baldwin is from Vermont, moved to NYC and feels drawn back home ready to start anew. Murphy, born in the city and his family is leaving NYC and he hates it. He is intolerant and resists any idea of moving to Florida with his parents, or to Vermont when Baldwin asks him to. At the beginning of the book, it appears as if Murph is the easy-going person and Baldwin is stiff, stuck in a rut. It turns out that Baldwin is okay with changing, trying new things, looking forward in life. While Murph is scared, unwilling to rely or work with anyone. He wants everything to remain static. Murph turns out to be the one with more issues than Baldwin, and I didn’t care for Murphy all that much as the story evolves and we get to know him. Despite my lack of love for Murphy, the author did a good job of making the two men a convincing couple I could believe in.

I absolutely loved the food descriptions and the meals over food. Books containing chefs, cooks, and cooking are some of the genres I love to read the most, so Chef in the Wild really hit the spot in delivering a fantastic foodie read. I enjoyed Baldwin, not so much Murphy, the character development, and the food. If you love food, you’ll probably like this story too. It’s a no angst, quick read. I give this book, 4 Stars.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre at Best

Much less than I expected. I’ve read other books by Ms. O’Shea and this was an unexpected disappointment. The “relationship” is formulaic and based on one which relies on miscommunication to create tension. The romance between Murph and Baldwin was wooden and while there are repeated references to Baldwin’s gruff manor, there were no examples of that behavior in the story.

[Rosey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book started off really well. Slow and sweet build up to the romance, and then it sort of lost momentum. The writing is strong, but the story wimped out 2/3 of the way through. I feel like the romantic conflict was unnecessary to the plot and characters. Their communication is great until the end, and then they suddenly stop sharing with each other. Disappointing.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting, Baldwin, and food

Rating: 3.5🌈

Chef in the Wild by M.J. O’Shea has a number of good elements going for it as a contemporary romance. The first of a series, Sizzle in the Kitchen, it’s center is a recently fired celebrity chef trying to climb his way out of burnout and a stressed out talented food truck chef fighting for his family’s approval. All taking place in the expensive, highly competitive location of Manhattan, NYC.

I really like the character of Chef Baldwin Powell. Recently fired from the restaurant he raised up to culinary fame and Michelin 2 stars, he’s a depressed man scrambling to find himself and his passion again. While O’Shea doesn’t dwell on this time in any depth, it’s not just a light matter either. It’s enough to give Peter Baldwin Powell dimension. He needs a new path back to his love of food and cooking.

And he finds it on a stroll and a food truck owner who’s been enticing him with delicious aromas and the offers of fantastic wraps.

Food trucks are a marvelously current element. Every city has its share of fabulous trucks and outstanding food. Even in my small town here there’s a Food Truck Thursday with just great offerings.

Shout out to Boombas Kitchen Food Truck and The Corned Beef King food truck should you ever be in Olney,Md!

So the next character, Murphy Haynes, is the chef of That’s A Wrap food truck. Murphy is younger, a talented chef from a rich family that doesn’t value his life choices.

So many issues stemming from that sentence. He’s a good character with that one personality defect, doesn’t communicate well, that usually keep me from connecting with him.

That plus his need to run away instead of talking through any issues that arise between them as a couple.

When they are together, cooking or , well, eating, Baldwin and Murphy are a cute couple. But at the first hint of a problem or a discussion, Murphy shuts Baldwin down. Won’t come home with him when asked. Doesn’t want to listen to any plans. Won’t explain his feelings to Baldwin. And then essentially runs away. More than once.

Murphy has understandable issues but is a character/personality with a inability to communicate.

So this becomes essentially a one sided relationship. One lacks maturity, and his continuing inability to talk about his issues ends up hurting himself and the relationship.

As well as my need to connect with this character too. This type of behavior in a character or relationship is one almost guaranteed to remove my continued in a storyline.

Especially ,since the fight and run response is big with Murphy . Then a enormous repeat of said actions with an immediate reconciliation. Boom done.

For me, that relationship was appearing a tad toxic. Murphy was ghosting Baldwin then showed up, after majorly running away for a lengthy amount of time.

Hmm. This scenario just didn’t work for me. Talk about a forced happy ending.

Only the town of Montpelier, Baldwin, and the cooking kept this rating from sinking.

There’s four books in the series. I will continue on at least to the next story.

If you like books about chefs, contemporary romance, give this a try and see what you think.

Sizzling in the Kitchen:
- [x] Chef in the Wild #1
- [ ] Chef Vs Chef #2
- [ ] Chef On Top #3
- [ ] Chef In Love #4

[Sarah C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book read like a Hallmark movie - and that is not a bad thing.

Baldwin and Murph meet at Baldwin's lowest - when the former chef has been fired from his previous job where he'd spent years and is at a loss of what he would lik to do next. He goes up to Murph's food truck and doesn't expect to be impressed. In fact, he very much expects to NOT be impressed, but he is. Because Murph's food truck puts together amazing and dynamic wraps that excite Baldwin for the first time after getting fired.

But I'm jumping ahead of myself - because before we even get to this meeting, we get to spend a fair amount of time with our MCs. We get to learn about their families and their personal struggles. We get to see glimpses of thier lives outside of the relationship, and I love that. I love that we aren't thrown right into a meet cute with their lives immediately revolving around one another. Instead, we learn about Murph's professional crush on Baldwin. We see Baldwin's struggles with finding who he is and where he fits after the loss of Ravenna. Then we get two full characters meeting.

The relationship between the two men is not a story of Insta Love. Instead, we get to watch them get to know one another, bonding first over food and slowly unravelling an attraction to one another that turns into an inferno. They see one another for awhile before making things official. They take their time. The main story spans an entire year and in that year, we get to really see the relationship flourish and I was absolutely living for it. I was absolutely living for the realistic pace and struggles of this romance.

The side characters were also so amazing. I loved Murph's roommate, Scooter. He just blossomed. I loved the setting and the stories and just everything about this book.

Until the ending. While they do have an HEA, the specifics of the HEA kept this book from being a five star rating. The fact that Murph gave up his food truck and moved to Vermont with Baldwin despite not really knowing what he was going to do felt too reminiscent of what he said happened n the past with his ex-boyfriend. While the text gave us the differences, I do feel that I would've liked this more if we saw him have a plan of what to do while he was there other than possibly working at the restaurant with Baldwin - especially given that he states multiple times that he doesn't like working in a traditional kitchen.

I hope we get more answers on this part in the later books in the series, because while the couple got an HEA, I feel that it came at too high of a price for Murph and it made the HEA less fulfilling for me.

** THIS IS A VOLUNTARY REVIEW OF AN ARC PROVIDED BY GRR **

[Sindu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chef in the Wild is a romance between professional Chef Baldwin "Pete" Powell and food truck owner, Murphy Haynes. When Baldwin gets fired because he's lost his original creativity, he falls into a major slump. He loses interest in all things food and just life in general. Going back home to Vermont sparks his interest but it's the bright, garish food truck at the corner of his street that really brings him back to life.

Murphy Haynes went in a completely different route after culinary school. After quitting his job at a fast paced kitchen in a restaurant, he invests in his own food truck, That's a Wrap! And after a year of finding his place in the streets of New York, his truck is finally standing on its own. But no matter how his truck is doing, Murph himself finds himself being drawn to the street of Chef Baldwin, over and over again, until one day when he finally catches the eye of the Chef.

Murph's food makes Baldwin find his way back to food and cooking. Murph himself makes Baldwin enjoy life again and they find themselves falling for one another, even though their paths in life may take them away from one another.

This book wasn't very long to begin with, but even then I felt like the introduction was dragged out and prolonged. We didn't get into the actual meat of the story until about 35% into the book. And while the story got much more interesting and better paced, it felt very structured. The flow was just a little off and was a little to abrupt in places.

The actual plot was pretty good. I really enjoyed the opposites attract aspect of it, and the food in this book was downright drool-worthy! The romance was very light, but really sweet. It sometimes felt like a coming of age story, because one of the main plot lines of this books was Baldwin finding his way in life and really just finding the place when he truly belongs.

While the introduction was a little drawn out, it would have fit in perfectly if the book was a little longer with more content and interactions between the characters. The book takes place over the course of a year, and actually seeing some of the little things that happened after the characters meet would have made it so much better.

I'd recommend this book if you're looking for a light, fun read with a heavy emphasis on food! The food was honestly my favorite part of this book cause some of those dishes they made sounded really, really good!

Full review at https://echoesoutloud.wordpress.com/2...

"I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review."

[Lora Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reason for Baldwin being fired wasn't completely clear to me. He'd supposedly "lost how mojo", but how? And according to whom? There was no mention of bad reviews, unhappy customers with complaints, unsatisfied staff... it was just dropped in his lap. Then several times throughout the story it said that Baldwin hadn't really cooked in several years, yet the story starts out with him in the kitchen, and when he was fired the owner called his food boring. So this plot device wasn't well thought out. However, I did like Baldwin and was rooting for him throughout the entire story. I was not, however, rooting for Murphy (I hate the name "Murph") the entire story. It was revealed that outside of his food truck he was selfish, childish, and immature. He was angry at his sister for wanting their parents to move, angry at his parents for wanting to move, and angry at Baldwin because (he incorrectly assumed) Baldwin thought he wasn't good enough. And when Murphy became angry, he'd storm off, ignore calls and texts for days, and when he did answer he was snappish. It was like reading about an angsty teenager. He annoyed me, and by 3/4 through the story I almost felt like he should be alone. His constant fanboying over Baldwin did not help, as it made it difficult to tell if his feelings were genuine and he became angry at Baldwin for not living up to his perfect fantasy.

In addition to the wobbly storyline, there was some editing that needed to be done. Lots of missing and/or incorrect punctuation, several times where the first name of the chef who replaced Baldwin was misspelled (went from Jake to Jack), and I'm pretty sure Twitter is supposed to be capitalized, though it never was here. It really makes me uninterested in reading Books 2 and 3 (the low ratings on those 2 aren't helping).

[Anne Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

First let me say I’ve got this book from Gay romance reviews and this is me leaving my honest review.
Chef Baldwin was this waiting for his time. He had what time is it at Ravenna’s gaining the restaurant two Michelin stars. And he was just waiting for The to let him know he was offered the new restaurant. But it seemed that Tony wasn’t on the same page and the conversation finished with Baldwin being fired because he had lost his edge and he was tired.
Baldwin couldn’t believe it, He didn’t know what to do next. And ended hiding out in his flat for months on end.

Murphy was running his own food truck. He had winter culinary school and was using his skills to make a success. He had a massive crush on Baldwin. And couldn’t Believe it when he heard of Baldwin being fired he spoke to his roommate Scooter who was also another chef.
Baldwin Stopped at Murphy’s truck and Murphy couldn’t help but flirt and gave him one of his wraps to try. this started great friendship that lead to more but could they have a chance at happiness or do they both how to much baggage.

I nearly didn’t finish this book because the first half of the book was just so slow for me. When the book finally started with Baldwin and Murphy spending time together then it really took off and I enjoy the book thoroughly. That’s why I’ve given it four stars. I think it just needs to get to the point a lot quicker. I like their relationship I like the chemistry and the passion. I enjoy it when they spend time cooking together. They just seem to gel really well so I found it really hard when Baldwin put his foot in it. I am looking forward to the next book in the series but I am hoping it has a better start to it than this one.

[LJ Henley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chef in the Wild is a great beginning of the Sizzling in the Kitchen series! Baldwin was an important chef at a restaurant that had won many awards, but somewhere along his way, he lost his drive and had become unexciting as a chef. His boss fired him because of that and Baldwin floundered for a while, not having much drive to do anything. Murph had a food truck. He parked his truck at several locations around New York, especially around the corner from Baldwin's home and where he used to work, hoping to get a glimpse of his hero/heartthrob, Baldwin. After weeks of staying inside moping, Baldwin heads outside and sees a brightly colored food truck with a line of customers waiting for some kind of wrap. He decides to get one, but upon walking up, Murph calls his name and gives him one of his wraps. Baldwin loves it! Every time that Murph has his food truck parked near Baldwin's building, Baldwin goes outside and chats with Murph and gets a few wraps. Soon they realize they like spending time together and then they are cooking together and finally they give into the attraction they feel for each other. This is a sweet, low angst, low heat story with a journey to HEA. I needed a happy, feel good book and Chef in the Wild fit that bill for me.

M.J. O'Shea's books bring a smile to my face and I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Enjoy!

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving a voluntary review.

[DD · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A great start to a series, I’m excited for the rest of it. Chef Baldwin Powell’s life crumbles around him, but was it all really what he wanted anyways? After a short bout of depression-induced hermitism, he’s a bit all over the place as he tries to discover what’s next. Maybe the pretty food truck owner with the addicting wraps are exactly what he needs to get his spark back, in and out of the kitchen. Murph perpetually parks his food truck in a particular spot in SoHo in hopes of seeing his idol and celebrity chef crush. His charisma, confidence and amazing food finally draw the sad chef to him and into a friendship. Could his dreams come true and he actually become more to Baldwin, wake up with him, cook with him?

It was great to see Baldwin grow and realize there is more to life than the carefully cultivated future that he thought he was destined to live that wasn’t making him happy at all anymore. Murphy’s fear of change hit me deep in my soul. I felt for him as he fought with his sister and lost the home he grew up in as his parents moved away. I was bummed that he had trouble trusting Baldwin and his intentions, that he would run off and give the silent treatment instead sticking around to figure it out and try to understand. Good thing he finally pulls his head out of his butt. The ending is super sweet.

And this book made me hungry! Seriously, I want one of those wraps.

[Emily Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baldwin and Murphy's romance was really sweet, and I had so much fun watching them fall in love one delicious meal at a time. When I first started reading, I wasn't sure how a Michelin star restaurant's head chef and a food truck owner could ever cross paths. I do wish Baldwin hadn't been so lost and sad when he finally stumbled across Murphy's truck, but it was really cute to see how a tasty meal perked him back up again. As the two of them spent more time together, there was something wonderful about seeing Baldwin fall back in love with cooking as he fell in love with Murphy. The two of them were magic in the kitchen, and seeing how perfectly their passions aligned made me even more excited to see where their relationship would take them. I'll admit that I was very caught off guard by the conflict in this story--it seemed like one day everything was going fine and then all of a sudden they were having a nasty fight. I wish that aspect of the story had felt more natural, as well as the randomly life-changing decision about their future careers. It's not that I was dissatisfied about where the two of them ended up, but I wish I'd gotten even the smallest peek at how conflicted Murphy was about the path he chose.

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions. 

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

Chef in the Wild is the first book in M.J. O’Shea’s series Sizzle in the Kitchen series; it has been previously released and features a contemporary get-together. Our main characters are two professionally trained chefs seemingly at opposite ends of the career scale. I really enjoyed how the story feels intensely immersive in the world of professional cooking, even though we barely set foot in any restaurant kitchen. While we only see enough of Baldwin in his kitchen to get fired, there are several scenes in and around Murph’s food truck. I appreciated little details, like how Murph’s food truck apparently does not spend the night in Murph’s garage, but has a dedicated (probably city coded?) garage. The discussions Baldwin and Murph have about food also really helped me get a sense for how in-tune they were with each other. Sure, Baldwin immediately notes that he finds Murph physically attractive, but it is Murph’s food that really gets Baldwin to pay attention.

Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, all the food talk in this one definitely got me hungry. Two chefs together makes for some yummy delicious heat. I liked the connection between Murph and Baldwin. Baldwin never expected to be slapped in the face and told he was fired from his prestigious restaurant job as the executive chef. Losing his job leaves Baldwin struggling to find any sort of identity and for the first time in his life not loving food. Murph loves being out on his own with his food truck It's a Wrap. He hated his restaurant job working under someone else. It's a lot of work with his food truck, but he loves it. And there's nothing wrong with choosing to park where he can sort of stalk his celebrity crush and hope that maybe Baldwin will notice him someday.

I did enjoy seeing Baldwin rediscover his passion for food and cooking as he tasted the passion that Murph put into his cooking. These two were sweet together. As Baldwin opened up though it left Murph as the one running scared with the emotional elements. Still it was never really in doubt that these two would work it out and explore new opportunities in the kitchen together. Very cute.

[Roger R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m definitely a sucker for restaurant/food truck type of books for some reasons. I think it is exotic and enamoring to think that great food does come from food trucks, not to mention that there’s love in preparing food unlike restaurants where it’s done somewhat robotically and sequenced. This book was pretty awesome and feel very humane to me. It is the first book in the “Sizzle in the Kitchen” series. Another great Food Truck trope that would transcend great to a TV movie/series! M.J. O’Shea did a great job weaving this one.

This wonderful story starts with Chef Baldwin who lost his job as the head chef of a fancy restaurant because they decided to hire Baldwin’s nemesis. At the same time, he ended his relationship with his boyfriend, Trey. This is the humane part where Baldwin hit rock bottom. Since he had lots of time on his hand, he happened to stop by a food truck run by Murph. It took some time but they both liked each other’s and a romance blossomed. However, Baldwin had somewhat a different path and did it include Murph? That’s for you to pick up the book and read!

[Laks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read with low angst and my first book by this author. As the title suggests its all about food and chefs. 

Chef Baldwin Powell is a hotshot chef in Manhattan with a great kitchen, Michelin stars and celebrity status. So it comes as a shock when one night Baldwin was replaced by his rival chef and asked to move on. He couldnt believe this turn of events and falls into depression. At this point he meets Murphy Haynes , a food truck owner specialised in wraps and also other juicy stuff. Baldwin tries to rekindle his passion for food and starts a food blog which gathers a lot of followers. 

Murphy is a happy go lucky type, refusing to join the rat race and quite content in experimenting and producing new food stuff. He has had a crush on super chef Baldwin for a while and soon their relationship steps up to the next level. 

Reading about food is always a joy and this story was written around it. The MCs are interesting and their opposite natures compliment each other. Planning to read the next book in series soon.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this from GRR and this is my honest review.

I like M.J. O'Shea's writing, I've read a few of their books now and they're always a good time, I'm always entertained and this was no different. I liked both Murphy and Baldwin, and even the background characters were well fleshed out. I felt bad for Baldwin being let go as he was from a job he loved and his feeling of aimlessness after losing all he knew.

If I'm honest, I'd have liked to get to know Murph a little better but I liked the slow development of the relationship between the two. I'm a sucker for a good slow burn and this had all that. I loved Baldwin finding his passion in food again due to Murph and that the two of them shared that. If I'm honest, there's a tiny part of me that kind of wished I'd got to see Casey getting some comeuppance but I understand he has his own book so maybe I have to read that to get that closure.

All in all this is a sweet story with a nice HEA, even if I wished I could knock their heads together at times.

[Chelsea Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so very excited to get the opportunity to read this book! I love books that involve the chef/cooking aspect and let me tell you this one was fun to read! Chef in the Wild is a fun story about two men who have the same passion in life but who chose two very different paths. Even though they started on different paths they ended up on the same path and have to learn to navigate that together. Baldwin chose the high end kitchen where Murphy chose to have his own food truck. All it took was one meeting gone bad and Baldwin lost everything. He and Murphy meet and have this instant connection. They bod over their love of food and cooking and their relationship progresses naturally. It was a really fun read and I’m excited dive right in to the next one.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

POV: 3rd Person Dual POV

Standalone or series: Book 1 in the Sizzle in the Kitchen series

Would I recommend it: 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ highly recommend!! 🤩

Would I read it again: Most definitely!

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice comfort read. No real drama or any angst just a sweet, light story. I did have a couple of small annoyances, the first was Murph's reaction to Baldwin's news but then again Baldwin knew Murph's history he really should have known better. Neither guy handled that situation very well but thankfully it all works. The other thing was I felt like their story ended kind of abruptly, hopefully I'll be seeing these guys again soon.

QUICK THOUGHTS
-- Quick easy comfort read -- not butterfly inducing but sweet -- Chef/Chef pairing -- long time crush eventually turns to more -- slow-ish burn -- no real drama or angst -- some miscommunication & misunderstandings -- things do work out -- starting over together -- loved the MCS... Baldwin (Pete) & Murph -- kind of an abrupt ending -- definitely an HEA though -- looking forward to reading more